‘They ran out of ink’ – VAR woe as Forest win 112-minute epic

Another bad day for VAR, another game.

With some incredible goals, jaw-dropping errors, and the odd scrap, Nottingham Forest’s win at West Ham was full of drama. However, the focus once more shifts to technology and the officials.

After Nikola Milenkovic flicked Anthony Elanga’s free-kick past Alphonse Areola to give Forest a 2-0 lead in the second half, the video assistant referee had a problem.

VAR was called in for a quick check because it appeared to be there might have been a slight offside.

In this incident, the VAR did not have access to the semi-automated offside technology. The VAR’s communication with the on-field officials also had issues.

The video assistant had to make a subjective choice, and poor Barrott, who had been racked with whistles and boos from every corner of London Stadium, had to explain the issues to players and managers.

They were drawing lines, and I believe they ran out of ink, as West Ham manager Graham Potter so wryly put it.

The delay significantly contributed to the Premier League’s second-longest game of the season, which lasted 112 minutes and 55 seconds.

Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest manager, could afford to minimize the situation because his side survived 16 minutes of second-half stoppage time. Matz Sels made a crucial stop for Niclas Fullkrug.

“I was anticipating the end of the game”! In his media conference following the game, he made fun of himself.

The representative acknowledged that the connection was having a problem. We oppose this happening, but it’s all about maintaining composure at all times.

For Forest, it is crucial that they maintained their resolve and persevered in order for a win to enable the realization of their Champions League dream.

Forest dropped from the top five berth they have held for the majority of the season due to their lack of consistency in their previous seven Premier League games.

Their 10th away league victory in 2024-25 was a result of a deluge of late West Ham attacks that Forest managed to escape.

They have won twice as many on the road as they have in their previous two league seasons combined, and they have won twice as many as they did in 1994-95, when Forest finished third overall. The majority of their victories have come in games where they have a minority of possession and played under pressure.

Forest controlled 39.5% of the ball at West Ham.

They are not fortunate, to be sure. Additionally, Forest’s outstanding hard work was demonstrated in this game. Alphonse Areola’s 11th-minute rick by West Ham’s goalkeeper Morgan Gibbs-White was anticipated by Morgan Gibbs-White, who nipped in to intercept a subpar pass and slammed into the empty goal. For the 17th time in this league season, Forest has scored from errors.

Elanga’s evil set-piece, which Milenkovic turned in to cause the VAR chaos, demonstrates that they also have quality.

Swedish international Elanga recorded an 11th league assist in 2024-25, equaling Bryan Roy’s 1994-95 Premier League assist record, with Bryan Roy also contributing.

With victory, they will now face Chelsea, one of their rivals, in the final game of the Champions League on Sunday.

Forest must defeat the Blues in order to hope that Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Manchester City will all have a positive outcome from their games.

Not bad for a team that finished last season at fourth place.

When Potter asked if he would have accepted this scenario if he had been offered it in August, Nuno responded, “I will sign it! ” Forest’s rebirth was “aspirational” for West Ham.